Never stop trying
by Savertin
Summary: AU-story after Season 4 'Lifeline'. What happenes, when Elizabeth wakes up in Atlantis infirmary, with Carson telling her, that they finally got rid of the nanites...? Will she believe him?


It's my first fanfiction for a long time, or better the first I really publish and it took a long time to write it. I wrote all of it during 'free' time in school, so it's of coursen ot free of mistakes. It's not beta read either, so: I'm sorry for any mistakes (especially because I learn English as a foreign language.)  
I decided to post the whole story at once, not in different chapters and stuff. I hope, some of you might review. I don't own anything (It really is a shame... I never would have cancelled the show!).

The story starts, as one can see right at the beginning, the moment, Elizabeth has to stay behind on the replicator planet in the episode 'Lifeline'. But it turnes out differently. How? Read and Review!  
Oh it also might be interesting: The 'italics' are the replicator reality, the 'normal' writing is the Atlantis one. But you'll see it.

Thanks a lot for reading.

* * *

Chapter 1

„_I can't keep them frozen much longer!"  
"We are not leaving you behind!"  
"If you don't leave right now, none of us will get out of here! So go, that's an order!"  
Elizabeth turned her head slightly, but it was enough to break her concentration. Oberoth let go of her hand and it was too late for her to escape. One of the replicators shot a weapon towards Ronon. Running away, he grabbed John's arm, who just had eyes for her. "Elizabeth!"  
More replicators came down the corridor. She was trapped and turned round, seeing John one last time. "Go!"  
Two replicators grabbed her arms and he had to see, there was no way of getting her out… for now. He ran off.  
Elizabeth finally realized what it really meant to send them away, when she was turned round to face Oberoth. "You lost, Dr. Weir."  
"My people will escape, and that's all I wanted. It's not so much a victory for you."  
"Well, getting your people is just… moved. We will get enough information from you to find them."  
"Never!"__  
"Ah, comes time" The two replicators that held her, pulled her with them to the cells. Then, just Oberoth stayed outside to watch her.  
"Do you not want to probe my mind?"  
She would fight as long as she could.  
"No. You will be reprogrammed. So we will get all the information without you being able to resist."  
That was what she had been afraid of and John as well. But maybe she could safe enough of herself to escape when the time came. She felt the world turning around her. The cell bars came closer and closer and then there was a bluish glow before everything went black. _

"Oh thank god, you are finally awake!"  
When Elizabeth opened her eyes, she could see the ceiling of the infirmary. No, it was the IR, she realized. She turned her head slightly and saw people wearing hazemetsuits. "How are you feeling, love?"  
She looked in the speakers face and it took her a moment to realize that she knew this face - knew it very well. But… he was dead.  
"Carson…" she just whispered.  
"Yes." He smiled. "You remember me. Do you remember what happened to you?"  
She shook her head and closed her eyes again. So she really was still with the replicators. How foolish to think the others came for her or she escaped – without even remembering it. But how stupid were these replicators when they showed her Atlantis and the first person to see was someone… dead? Well, she thought, if Oberoth wanted to go that way, she would go along with it. Carson took her hand and squeezed lightly. "Don't drift away again, stay with us!"  
She opened her eyes and could see him clearer this time. "Carson… where am I? Am I dead?"  
He sighed and smiled. "The infirmary. And no, you're pretty much alive. Finally awake, I might add. Do you not remember anything?"  
Well… she thought. Won't tell you that, will I? "No… what happened?"  
"You collapsed in your office during a meeting. John got you here; we scanned you and found out, that you had been infected with nanites. Probably they were injected by Niam. We think, they tried to gain control over your body. And now we finally could deactivate them without killing you. What is the last thing you remember?"  
She watched him carefully. She still was so sure it was a trick. But… what if he said the truth and everything she had seen, been through, had been shown by the nanites? No, she told herself. They wouldn't or better couldn't invent so many stories just to take her over. And, she decided, it was what they wanted her to believe! "I'm not sure if it is the last thing."  
"Tell me, lass. It might help."  
"I remember Oberoth. He told me, he'd reprogram the nanites so I would become a replicator."  
Carson didn't look happy. "So our theory was correct. They did show you things." Then he smiled. "It's over, love. They didn't get you."  
Elizabeth was confused. Hell what was happening? Did the replicators really think they could make her believe? That she just imagined the crap in the past months? Year? "How long have I been here?"  
"Ten days. You made us worry quite a lot!"  
"You said the nanites are inactive. Why… are you still wearing the hazemets?"  
"It was a precaution, in case it didn't work." Carson smiled. "It's fine now, I think. I'll come back later, you might just rest a bit more." She smiled back. "Thanks Carson."  
"You are most welcome, dear. Glad to have you back."  
He left the room, just leaving a nurse behind, who checked something.  
Elizabeth closed her eyes. Even if this was a fiction played in her mind, and she was still sure that it was, it was nice to see Carson. And the more she thought about it, the replicators couldn't find out anything. Atlantis would be moved to a different planet, one she didn't know. And she would see the rest of the team. All of them. She smiled. Yes, that might be worth it. Even, if they were fiction. With a last thought about them, she fell back asleep.

Chapter 2

"Will she be okay?"  
"Yes, she is much better now."  
"That's good. The IOA sent message, that they have attempts of sending a replacement. They hope to get rid of her."  
"Idiots. They have no idea about what really matters, do they?"  
"Not really. It's good, she'll be better soon. I don't like to say it, but Rodney did a good job."  
"Indeed he did. He's a good lad."  
When Elizabeth gained consciousness again she was able to listen to John's and Carson's short dialog. Carson went on talking. "It's good, she kept fighting. Otherwise we could have never saved her."  
There was never a need to fight, she thought bitterly. You saved me ten months ago. She opened her eyes, getting dazzled by the infirmary lights above her for a moment. She blinked a few times and looked around. Both men were standing at a monitor and looking at it, now both silent now. John was the first to turn the head to realize she was awake and immediately stepped closer. "Elizabeth! You're awake again!" He gave her his best smile.  
It made her feel better, although, she reminded herself, he is fiction. He is not real she told herself firmly.  
"John. You okay?"  
"Wouldn't I have to ask that?"  
"That's what you have to know." She had to smile.  
Carson came to her other side. "We moved you to the infirmary, because, as far as we can tell, there are no nanites left in your body. Or better no active ones."  
"That's really good. When can I get out of here?" She didn't want to lay here any longer."  
John grinned widely and both earned a strict look from Carson. "You have been in a come for ten days. You won't get out of here so soon."  
"I was just asking." She replied innocently. Maybe I spent too much time with John, she thought. He's always the one who can't wait to escape the infirmary. Carson was called by a nurse so he went there to check it out. John supported Elizabeth's attempts to sit up in bed and she nodded to him gratefully. "So tell me, John, what happened here, while I was gone? Did you take good care?"  
"Ah it was very quiet. Rodney just exploded another solar system and a bit part of the city, Teyla and Ronon are getting a baby… and I redecorated your office. You gonna love it!"  
"You're kidding me… right?"  
John smirked. "Yes. Expect the last part…"  
"John!" She sighed. "What did you do?"  
"I said you'd love it. Trust me. Please?"  
She sighed again. "Fine. But you have to get it back to it's original if I don't."  
"Deal!"  
That moment, Carson came back and ordered John to leave. "If she is supposed to get better, you should leave her a bit of rest, lad! And you lass, rest now, if you want to get out of here soon."  
John and Elizabeth exchanged a look. "Yes, doc!" They said in unison.

It took more than five days until Carson could be convinced to let Elizabeth leave the infirmary to go back to active duty.  
John came to pick her up and "prepare her for the shock" as he said.  
So they both were walking side by side up to the control room. Elizabeth was feeling much better with normal (fictional she shouted in her thoughts) cloths, her radio and everything where it belonged. And she went along with it, not to cast any suspicion on her.  
John didn't let her stop at her quarters (where she just wanted to look how much it was the same), he was eager to see her reaction about her office. She was confused by his actions. It was so much of a John, she didn't know, she didn't remember. Was it a way for the replicators to show her things, she didn't expect, so she was easier fooled and started to believe it?  
In the control room the technicians smiled at her. Chuck came closer to say 'hi" and Rodney immediately started talking about something he had found out. Elizabeth tried to response but Rodney didn't give her a chance to. John stepped in and cut him of in the middle of his sentence. "McKay, stop talking gibberish!" Rodney looked like a fish for a few seconds and then cleared his throat. "But well, it's important."  
"You can tell me later, okay?" Elizabeth tried to prevent an argument. He agreed and John led her to her office. He actually did a fairly good job. He removed all the chairs in front of her desk an replaced them by very comfy ones. He also put up nice pictures of her senior staff members. There was even one of her and John, while standing on the indoor balcony. She didn't know who had taken it, but it looked nice. But it is fiction. For a moment she caught herself completely lost in this… reality. She wanted it to be real.  
John seemed very pleased with himself. Elizabeth walked over to her desk. It was exactly how she remembered it to have left it. How it had ever been. She didn't know if it still would be able to look like it after the replicator beam had hit the city.  
The rest of the day was quiet. John updated her on what had happened, she had a senior staff meeting to get a rough idea. Teyla and Ronon were bored as it was mostly a monolog of Rodney, and Elizabeth had agreed to listen. On strict doctor's orders John got her to the mess hall for lunch and dinner and made her finish the working day early as he knew otherwise she would work till late night to get up to date.

Chapter 3

_Her sight cleared and a sharp ache in her head made her sink on the floor. Her breath was fast. "We will win!"  
She looked up and saw Oberoth standing above her, looking very angry.  
Elizabeth was confused. "What was that…" she whispered.  
Oberoth observed her arrogant. "I have to admit, you are very strong. But never think, that we have lost any power over you."  
With that he left and she was alone with her thoughts. She was back in the cell. Oberoth obviously just had probed her mind… did he show her the days in Atlantis? What did his comment mean, that the power had stayed? And why did he get her back here, if he wanted to make her believe the other reality?  
A few moments later, another replicator came in with a small tablet. "We know that you humans have to consume food for your life. As you are not yet a full replicator, I brought you something."  
Elizabeth reacted quickly, something she had learned from John. She was also grateful for the lessons she had done with Teyla. Without problems Elizabeth knocked the replicator out and stole the weapon. Carefully she went to the door. No replicator there and she went along the floor, not really sure where to go. She had to try whether the gene therapy she got a few weeks ago, a few weeks ago what she was sure to be 'reality' that meant, would do some good. Hopefully she could fly a jumper out without killing herself. Even Rodney could do it, so why shouldn't she?  
But to get to the jumper bay was easier thought than done, especially as soon as the replicators realized that she had escaped. With lots of luck she reached it. And as soon as she entered the room, she woke up. _

Elizabeth sat upright in her bed. What the hell? It was still dark outside; the moon was shining over the towers of Atlantis. She got up, too afraid to sleep again and went to the window. Had that been a dream? Or did the replicators just try to make her think that and this was shown again? Did she really escape or was that fiction? Was this reality? Or what…

She wasn't sure what to think. Quickly she got dressed. Real or not, she couldn't sleep. And she did need some coffee, whether it was fictional coffee or not. So she left her quarters and walked to the mess hall. Deeply lost in thoughts she got a mug and stood on the balcony, watching the quiet sea turning by a slight wind.

It seemed so real, but as did the memory about Oberoth and the escape. What if it both is shown? None of it real? A way to get her as confused by the realities as possible so she would give up?  
"Elizabeth?... Elizabeth!" It took her a moment to realize it was her that was called on. She looked up and turned round. Dr Heightmeyer smiled at her.  
"Oh, Hi Katie", Elizabeth replied, "What are you doing here?"  
"I could ask you the same."  
Psychiatrists, Elizabeth thought. But she smiled. "I couldn't really sleep, so I took a walk."  
"And drink coffee to sleep better?" Katie looked very critical.  
"It's nearly morning. If I go back to bed now, I will be tired all day. I got lots of work to do."  
"You should take some more days off for you to recover completely. You've been through a lot."  
As if you know anything about it. Or you do, because you are fiction shown by the god dam replicators.  
"I am fine, Katie. The work will help me recover more that talks or some rest could."  
"But if you would talk to me, I could help you…"  
Elizabeth turned round again and leaned on the ceiling. "It's too much to tell."  
"Try it? I'm a good listener, you know."  
"Thank you Katie, but it's something I have to think about on my own first."  
"But you will come to me when you are ready to talk, okay?"  
"Sure…"  
"Promise it, I know you'Re just saying it."  
She can be a real pain in the ass. And she was so annoying. Why did we have to take a Psychiatrist with us?! "Yes Katie, I promise."  
Katie nodded, still not convinced.  
"I will go now, have a nice day, Elizabeth!"  
"You too, Katie." She left.  
Elizabeth stayed until the sunrise and thought. But that was it for the rest of the day. She didn't come to think about Oberoth all day, as she was keeping busy to catch up with the work. Even if it might be fiction, she thought, it would look good if she played along. She had some meetings with different parts of the science department to find out what they had found out the last days. It wasn't much, but at least she had something to do. And all the doctors were happy because they had a more or less good listener.  
In the afternoon she went for a long walk with John and after that watched him and Ronon train their fighting techniques. Ronon very much kicked John's butt, but he didn't really mind. The three of them had dinner together and, after Teyla, Rodney and Carson joined them, they talked till late night.

Chapter 4

_She found herself on her knees in front of Oberoth. Again. He didn't look very pleased down to her. "You are very strong indeed, Dr. Weir. But we will get information from you, even if you try to resist. I might have to dig a little… deeper."  
"What do you actually want, Oberoth?" She said more like a whisper as she couldn't get her voice. "What do you get by showing me days in Atlantis?"  
Oberoth looked at her confused. "Days in Atlantis? What do you mean?"  
Elizabeth tried to get up to her feed but a replicator hit her hard in the back so she fell down again. Strange, she thought. Was it really true? Atlantis hadn't been an imagination? This was still shown by the nanites?! They really had shown her so many things to learn about Atlantis, about Earth. About everything.  
"Your nanites are still trying to control me." It was half of a statement and half a question.  
Oberoth ignored her. He was talking his thoughts loud. "Your people woke you up. I know now. I can feel it. We are just left in a small part of your brain. In human physiology, that's where you… dream."  
"Carson said, there are no nanites left!"  
"He can't detect all of them. Now I got it. __Thanks, for your help. You are too strong awake, so we can just control you at night. That's why we didn't realize it at first. You are getting even more interesting. Well, now we know the weak point and we can do something against it. Get her back to the brig!"  
Two replicators dragged her on her feet and pulled her back to the well known cell. She was too lost in thoughts to bother to resist. It had been a bad idea to tell him that. She walked up and down as soon as she was left alone. She just wanted to wake up and talk to Carson. He might have an idea. Or Rodney, he could reprogram the nanites. But how could one wake up if one really wanted it?  
It took a while till Oberoth came to her. "I'm sorry you had to wait, Dr Weir. I just had to make sure everything is ready."  
"Ready? Ready for what?"  
"You do remember, that in this - what you call it - reality your body is kept alive by nanites. It represents, that we are in many important parts of your brain. We are going to deactivate your nanites here, so we can attack your physical body."  
Elizabeth looked confused. "But it still is a fictional reality. You can't do any harm!"  
Oberoth shook his head and concentrated. For a moment she didn't feel anything. Then, suddenly, she felt a sharp pain through her whole body. Like needles, daggers that were all over her body. Like she was standing in flames. It was too much for her. She fell down to her knees and screamed. _

It was John who found her the next morning, cramped together on the floor next to her bed – dead. Or so it seemed at first. Then he could see her breathing very slowly. He did an emergency call to the infirmary and then lifted her up on his arms to get her there. Carson expected him, looking very worried. He ordered John to put her under the scanner.  
"Oh good Lord, no…" Carson whispered and then ordered to put up a quarantine tent again.  
"What's wrong doc?" John looked at him confused and watched the nurses following the orders very quickly.  
"Look." Carson simply said and pointed at the scanner monitor.  
John was shocked. They could watch more and more red dots appear, each representing a nanites and they could watch how they spread through Elizabeth's body.  
"But… I thought all of them were gone. Where do they come from again?"  
Carson shook his head. "I don't know. We have to find out. And you, son, are going to be scanned as well. Just so we can be sure."  
John just nodded, he knew, Carson wouldn't let him go.

Chapter 5

_Elizabeth woke up, lying on the floor. Her body ached from top to toe, fortunately much less than it had when Oberoth was with her. She had dreamed of Atlantis, but this time she had known it was a dream. Slowly she got to sit. It was enough to show her the weakness of her body. She leaned on the wall and closed her eyes again.  
"Elizabeth…" A whisper was going round her. __She knew the voice. She knew it so well. But when she opened her eyes she just could see a shadow, walking around the room. She knew the figure, but she couldn't remember his face. She thought about Atlantis to recall his name but the more she thought about it the less she could recall the name of anyone. _

_What was this city called again? _

…_  
How did it look? _

…_  
Why was she here again?_

…_  
The door opened and Oberoth came in. "Elizabeth, how are you feeling?"  
She knew, he never had called her like that but it suddenly didn't matter. Well, how did she feel? She wasn't sure. A bit empty she would think. She smiled at him, trying to be polite. "I'm okay. What happened?"  
He made a worried face. He looked shocked.  
"You don't remember?"  
She shook her head for a now_

…_  
He smiled. "Come with me, dear."  
Without another sound he left the room and she followed him. They went through the same corridors until they reached a balcony. It was the balcony near the control room and if it wasn't for the large replicator city below, Elizabeth would have been able to recognize it. As it was, it was just her favorite spot. But there was something else. A memory. A memory for a shadow faced person, she should know but couldn't really remember. _

_They gave her a very nice room with a view on a lake (the sea she had to recall, it just looked like a lake) on the other side of the city. It was beautiful but didn't help her to remember anything. It was different from before, that she knew. _

_The nights were bad, because she dreamed of a city full of shadowed people, staring at her reproachfully as she should greet them, know them, but didn't. _

For John it was very difficult. Carson had told him under no circumstances he was allowed to go into Elizabeth's quarantine room – neither with nor withought hazemet. The nanites were takeing control over more and more parts of Elizabeth's body and wouldn't be stopped. With awe he thought about the moment where she nearly collapsed – a sign by the nanites, no question. The same kind as last time, where she was dead an Carson had to revive her.  
"We have to do something!" John walked around like a tiger and looked at Carson like he had to have the answer for his question.

But Carson didn't have an answer.

None of them did. Rodney was in his lab, hissing at anyone who came in, especially Zelenka was his victim.

Two days went by, with no real changes. Elizabeth was getting worse as the nanites were getting more. John didn't know what it was, but somehow he knew, Elizabeth had stopped fighting – and with no allowance, no way to go to her, speak to her, he could do nothing. Last time he had been able to save her – by being with her. But now… It was so bad.  
He didn't want to lose her. She was kind of his best friend here on Atlantis. Part of his family. He never wanted to be in the situation not to be able to save his family.

_Weeks had gone by where Elizabeth lived in this large city full of strange people, who never seemed to eat, sleep or do anything… human.  
She felt like an outcast although she got involved quite a lot in the activities. After one week, where she strictly had to stay in her new quarters for no good reason, she had been taken for walks by some guy called Othello. He had been very kind, but didn't tell her anything. Every time she asked something, he'd just change the topic. _

_She learned not to ask. _

_She was getting used to this life. She accepted that she had forgotten things – and believed it were these people who she had forgotten. Except the shadow faced person on the balcony, she wasn't able to recall. _

She was getting weaker. None of them got an idea. The nanites had replaced parts of her lungs, making it difficult to breathe. "Not long," Rodney said sadly, "and they have taken her over completely. Then she is a replicator."  
John didn't want to accept that. Twice he tried to get to her, and he was stopped quite quickly by the marines who listened strictly to Carson's orders. John stood alone on the balcony watching the sea. How often had he stood herewith Elizabeth, talked about god and the world?  
"John!" Carson's voice got him out of his thoughts. "Elizabeth collapsed again. The nanites shut themselves off."

~*~

"_We're finished."  
"Good. S__o let's finalize her and wake her up. It's time to destroy Atlantis."_

~*~

Chapter 6

_She woke up in the middle of the night. The moons were shining through the window. But things were different. She was feeling __differently. Whispers all around her, like she wasn't alone.  
Someone entered her room. "You're awake!"  
She turned round and looked in this face. She knew him. She definitively did.  
"What do you want?"  
"I was wondering if we could talk a bit."  
"Do we have anything to talk about?"  
And then she realized where she knew him from. He was the one responsible getting her here.  
"Niam."  
To say he wasn't surprised was the least. "You… remember my name? That's- brilliant!" But he didn't look as happy as he tried to be.  
"You are responsible that I'm here!"  
He looked a bit shocked. "Elizabeth, I swear it's not my fault."  
It was like a bubble around her puffed and she was overwhelmed by reality. Niam's appearance had given her back all her memories. "You implanted the nanites!"  
"They controlled me. I'm sorry."  
He grabbed her hand and before she could react she was pulled into his memory. She saw themselves in the jumper, but she could feel his feelings. He didn't want it. And somehow she knew he wasn't making it up. Back in the room she stepped back from him. "So this is all… real. I'm on the Asuran home world."  
Niam sighed. "That's what I came for. I need to tell you."  
"Tell me what? Why I lost my memory and got it back?"  
"Sit down, Elizabeth."  
"Don't order me around. Tell me!"  
He closed his eyes for a moment.  
"Oberoth tried to completely erase your memories. When he was switching of the nanites in the… simulation, he killed apart of your brain. Or he tried to. I was able to save these memories, so I could give them back. But Oberoth made a mistake. He didn't get all your memories downloaded, while I did."  
"I'm not a computer to play with and put down data as wanted!"  
She was so upset. No not upset. Angry. More than angry. How dare they to see her memories as software that needed backup?  
"Oberoth thinks that. The human body i s just a machine."  
"It's different from the machines you are. You consist of nanites."  
Niam sighed. "I don't want to discuss with you. I need to tell you something else."  
She raised an eyebrow. "What?"  
"I regret what I have done to you. I really do. And I'm truly sorry."  
She somehow felt he was telling the truth. She nodded him to go on.  
"When… Oberoth switched off the nanites he weakened you. The body in the simulation was kept alive by them Weakening you meant weaken your human body as well. The nanites spread through your human body, took over everything, heart, lung…"  
"What do you mean?! My __huma__n body?"  
Suddenly she was scared. Very scared.  
"Please, let me finish."  
"Okay…?"  
"They had taken you over but it wasn't enough for Oberoth. While you were here in the city, what still was a simulation until yesterday, he completed his task. He made a replicator version of you. When he was finished he… took your consciousness from your human body into the replicator body. Then he switched off those in your human body."  
She was shocked. Speechless. Until now, she hat at least hoped she had been captured, like in her fake memory or whatever. But now, hearing it from Niam where she felt he was right.  
"No… It's not possible!"  
She turned round and looked out of the window. If it really was true… It meant never going back to Atlantis, going back to her friends. She'd never be able to control her actions if Oberoth took control.  
She felt Niams hand on her shoulder and felt miserable. She stopped her thoughts. Replicators were able to feel emotions?  
"There is a small amount of us - I made you one - that are able to feel emotions. I'm sorry for reading your thoughts, but you have to get used to it."  
Elizabeth turned to him and saw a slight smile. "You didn't give up on ascension!"  
"No. And I'm sure, one day we will succeed. But we need your help."  
"With what? I don't know much about ascension."  
"Well, that's no problem. We got, better I got, your knowledge anyway. No, we want to learn more about your behavior, about humans in general."  
"How could I possibly teach you? You can't simply learn to be human."  
"We can watch, learn by seeing things."  
"How does that help with ascension?"  
"We shall find out."  
Her thoughts went rapidly. Still how did they want to do it? Send her back to simulations? He again must have read her mind and smiled as he said. "We want to built our own version of Atlantis. We can be part of the whole. We got your teams minds still saved. You're going to get some of them to interact with or we could make another copy."  
She couldn'T really trust her ears. "You think… You see this as a kind of game, right? That is so…" She couldn't really find a word for it.  
"Elizabeth I…"  
Niam was stopped by the opening of the door. "Ah, here you are. I'm sorry to disturb you, Elizabeth, but I need to speak to Niam."  
Niam turned round to see Oberoth. "I'm busy. However it was very rude just to enter without knocking!"  
Oberoth rose an eyerow and suddenly she had the feeling that he wasn't just here to get Niam. She thought about the connection of the replicators. Did Oberoth know what they had talked about?  
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but it's important."  
Niam sighed and left the room, followed by Oberoth who just stopped again at the door to say "You stay here, dear. I will come back later!"  
Then she was alone again._

Chapter 7

He would have spent days and nights at her bedside, just to not miss anything that happened to her. When the nanites stopped working, Carson immediately put her on life support. She would have died instantly that day but now she was just kept alive by a machine – again. He knew she wouldn't want it . Either be saved within a short time – or die. It's the same he'd want. He told Carson but he was a doctor. He had to do wad he did.  
"You are still here, lad? You should get some rest. I'll stay with her now."  
Carson put a hand on John's shoulder. He looked up to face the doctor. "I'm fine!"  
"Doctor's orders. Go to bed, John. You've been here all day."  
"Carson I…" But he met Carson's view and knew he couldn't convince him.  
He got up. "Well then, see you later."  
Of course he didn't go to bed. He simply couldn't. He went for a long walk through the city.

_Oberoth had taken her on one of the replicator ships to "Take her for a ride". Obviously he didn't realize she got her memory back. Or did he just play it?  
Niam wasn't onboard. She hadn't seen him since that one day. She kept looking, searching for him in the connection, but there was no sign, no trace… nothing of him. Had he been erased? Lost in thoughts she stood on one of the windows watching the blue of hyperspace passing by. She had an eye on the control room, observing the actions there via the connection. She had grown quite used to it and even found out how to hide things. The only thing she was worried about at the moment was, where the journey would go. She couldn't find any information about it, neither could she see Oberoth. Like he was hiding. Two days went by before they dropped out of hyperspace. No one had come to her during that time. It was difficult not to have to sleep, eat, rest… She wasn't used to that so she had too much time to think. Think about Atlantis, her friends… home…_

"John, we need to talk about it."  
"No."  
"We have to, sooner or later, you know that."  
"Maybe we find a way to help her."  
"I'm sorry, but I truly doubt it. I'm sorry."  
"Carson, you are the doctor. I trust you, but you have to be wrong!"  
"John, it's not a matter of being right, it's…"  
He was stopped by Chuck's voice from the control room. "Colonel Sheppard to the Control room!"  
John sighed. "We continue this later, Doc." Then he rushed away.  
Carson looked very sad and stepped to Elizabeth's bed. "You know, love, we miss you so much. I hope one day I find a way to help you. The IOA is in our necks. I don't know what to do… O dear. Maybe you can hear me. Or John. He tells you so much." Then he went back to work.

John arrived in the control room a few minutes later. Chuck looked at him, a slightly panicked expression on his face.  
"What's the matter, Chuck?"  
"One replicator ship just dropped out of hyperspace above the planet. We cloaked immediately, but I think they know we are here."  
"Crap! Any ideas yet?"  
Chuck didn't have an answer for that. Another technician then said. "Sir, we are being hailed by the ship."  
"Well." He felt reminded of Elizabeth, how she always acted in that kind of moments. "Let's hear what they have to say."  
She nodded and a moment later Oberoth appeared on the screen. "Hello Colonel Sheppard. It hasn't been long."  
"I'm sorry to hear that."  
"Indeed. I hope you are still well and didn't do any harm to our city."  
"It doesn't belong to you!"  
"Nor to you. But it's more ours, than yours. So I give you one day, to leave, unharmed."  
"You think we will leave Atlantis just like that."  
"Otherwise, we will kill every one of you and then take it by force. We give you this one option to save your people." Then he cut the connection and the monitor became black.

He called an emergency senior staff meeting and explained everything in no time to them. Now, the moment the information settled, he look to the empty space in their middle. Neither of them dared to sit there. But now, John had to think about who would maybe sit there soon. Of course, Carson was right - he had to talk about it. But not now.  
Rodney cleared his throat. "Well, we will be able to raise the shield for a few days or even weeks. I might also be able to modify it with our ARGs. So they can't invade Atlantis till they… well. Figure out the code."  
"But how can we get rid of them?" John didn't want to be the one in charge. It was something he wasn't used to.  
"Do you think, some drones will do the job?"  
He answered his own question and asked another one and looked at Rodney.  
"Maybe. I hope so. We also should call the Daedalus. They would be helpful."  
"Yes, I already asked Chuck to contact the SGC." Elizabeth would have tone that. She always seemed to know what to do.  
"We got half a day left. Let's see what they do. The moment the time is over I want you in the chair Carson. Rodney you go with him and have a look that the chair is working properly."  
Carson looked horrified and Rodney simply nodded.  
John closed the meeting and went to the control room – ignoring Carson who started to complain.

Chapter 8

"_Come on, we have to leave!"__  
Sandor pulled Elizabeth with him through the corridors of the ship. She knew him from Niam's explanations about the 'special' replicators who still seek ascension. "What happened? We dropped out of hyperspace but I don't know where we are. Nor can I see it through this damming connection."  
Sandor sighed and turned to look at her."We are above Atlantis. Oberoth threatened to destroy it."  
He moved on, dragging her with him 'cause she didn't really walk with him after that sentence. "What?!"  
Sandor didn't answer just walked on. But in the connection he showed her what had happened, what Oberoth had said to John. John. When she heard his voice she felt weak. Atlantis must not be destroyed. Finally he stopped at the 'gate ship' bay as the Asurans called it. "You have to take a ship and leave. Oberoth is occupied so he can't stop you. "But what happens to you? I mean…"  
"I will sabotage the ship. They won't be able to destroy Atlantis. You know a lot about us, you can help them to make sure Oberoth can't harm you ever again."  
"I…"  
"Please. It was Niam's wish that I help you to get free. I will cut your connection so none of us can control you ever again."  
He hugged her briefly and then left the room. And the moment he left she really felt alone. The flow of information stopped, she couldn't see faces, pictures or hear voices from the others. It was simply quiet and it was a lonely feeling.  
She entered the jumper (never ever would she call it gate ship) and brought it to life. Without problems she opened the bay door and flew out. Not a minute after she was outside range, the ship blew up._

"Colonel!" Chuck's voice was excited. John left Elizabeth's office and came to him. "What is it?" "It… the replicatorship just… exploded!"  
"What?" John stared at the monitor where it said exactly that.  
Hold on a second." Chuck typed something. "There is a smaller ship. Looks like a … jumper?"  
John stared at him. He didn't dare to think it.  
"Maybe they had a malfunction and some escaped."  
By now also in the room, Rodney just laughed. "They are replicators. There is no malfunction!"  
"Then how do you explain that ship?"  
"We could ask them." Chuck said with a serious voice.  
"And how?" Rodney and John asked at the same time, glared at each other suspiciously and looked back at Chuck.  
"We've got an incoming message."  
"Uhm." John felt a slight discomfort. "Okay, let's hear what they have to say." He had a slight déjà vu.

_She smiled when she thought about what scene probably just played in the control room. She had no idea how to explain it to them. Would she have to talk to herself? What happened to her real body? Her message was accepted and a few seconds later she could see John, Rodney and Chuck on her screen. They looked shocked, obviously they didn't expect her to call them.  
"Hello John, Rodney, I'm sorry to shock you."  
The first one to talk was John. "Elizabeth… what… how? I mean you are down in the infirmary…"  
"If you let me land, I will explain everything to you."  
Her 2IC looked a bit unsure and she added: "You can get an ARG if you don't trust me."__  
John nodded wordlessly. What was there to say? She closed the connection and flew closer to the city. She'd never landed a jumper but it wasn't too difficult. _

John, together with some marines, waited for her. She took a deep breath and opened the back of the jumper.  
Immediately two ARGs were raised and pointed at her. She shortly showed her hands and for the first time realized, that she wore the Asuran uniform. She shrugged and did one step to leave the jumper. John kept a straight face when he asked her to follow him. He lead them to the briefing room.  
Carson was there, he told them, Rodney had to check something and thus couldn't be here. John thanked god for that.  
He sat down and Elizabeth, who remained standing in the middle of the room a bit lost, started to explain everything from her point of view. Carson on the other hand confirmed what she had figured out – everything in Atlantis since she woke up for the first time in the infirmary had really happened. He was sad when he told her about her body – just kept alive by machines.  
There had to be a way out of this. Elizabeth wasn't sure she could really cope with being here and kind of not being real.

Days had passed, where none of them had a proper idea what to do with her. She stayed in her quarters (with a ARG-armed marine in front of the door) most of the time. She read a lot in the ancient database (especially in the nighttime where nobody was around) and was really fascinated by it. The rest she spent either in Rodney's lab or on her balcony. Most of the time there she was joined by John, who she was very happy to have then. She remembered the moments on Asura, where he was just the faceless person.

It was one of that moments, she spent in Rodney's lab, working on a laptop, typing some random information that got on her mind.  
Rodney glared at her quite often (Zelenka suspected him to be jealous) and now asked. "You know, there might be a way for you to go back to your own body."  
She looked up from work, not stopping to type and raised an eyebrow. "How?"  
" looked in the ancient database about that. I found an article about converting a replicator mind into a human's. And vice versa, the way the Ancients used it but never mind. You could go back into your body with everything that is in your mind now. It's just that… some nanites would be in your body… inactive of course and not connectable… but…"  
She stared at him. "That's perfect!"  
"Yeah well… uhm… but it's dangerous."  
"I don't mind. Come on, let's do it!"  
Elizabeth was very excited. That was too good to be true.  
"It needs some preparations, you can… or better you have to help me. But…" Rodney wasn't sure how to go on. " I know you didn't go down to see yourself… We will have to do something there as well."  
She nodded. "I will cope with that, I think."  
It took a few days to get the machine to work, as Elizabeth could work 24 hours but Rodney couldn't. Then it was done. Carson supervised her body, while Rodney made everything ready.

Epilog

The waves sounded the same as they always had. The sea smelled the same and the sunset was as beautiful. Elizabeth closed her eyes and let her thoughts wander through the last weeks. Years? Whatever.  
"Are you daydreaming, love?"  
With a smile she turned round and saw Carson and John standing in the door. "Uhm, no. I just thought about the last… weeks. How much happened so fast. And I try to fit in the memories you gave me."  
Before they had really switched the bodies, Carson and John both had agreed to show her their point of view by allowing her to probe their minds. It had been interesting, but it was difficult to fit in.  
John grinned. "I know, my thoughts sometimes are quite confusing."  
"I'll go back to the infirmary, just wanted to check on you." Carson nodded and left.  
John came closer to stand next to her. She smiled at him. "I'm glad, we got this done, once without problems."  
"So far. Do you think the replicators will come back?"  
"Yes, I guess, one day they will. They still are full of mysteries."  
"We'll fight them again. Are you comeing in, Rodney has found something in the ocean that looks like whale."  
"Really? That's funny." Elizabeth giggled.  
"What?" John looked confused while they turned to go to the control room.  
"Oh, the replicators showed me that and… let's say it was interesting. You know, I thought about writing everything into a book, what do you think?"  
The door closed behind them, leaving the balcony empty. Just the beginning of another ordinary unordinary day in Atlantis.

The End – The Begin

By Savertin, finished 22/11/08, reworked 1/12/08


End file.
